'Emerging powers should pressure Iran'

A day after asking India and Pakistan not to have transactions like their gas pipeline with Iran, the US wants everyone, particularly emerging powers, to put pressure on Tehran to curb its nuclear ambitions.

A day after asking India and Pakistan not to have transactions like their gas pipeline with Iran, the US wants everyone, particularly emerging powers, to put pressure on Tehran to curb its nuclear ambitions.

“I’m not familiar with any particular project, but this is part of our ongoing dialogue with countries that we are looking to place pressure on Iran,” state department spokesman P J Crowley told reporters when asked about plans for an Iran-Pakistan India gas pipeline.

“And we are expecting everyone, particularly emerging powers, to play a significant role in this.” US is currently engaged with a wide range of countries to put together a sanctions resolution against Iran.

While the US has a broad-based dialogue with both India and Pakistan “to understand and help with the respective and legitimate energy needs that countries in the region have,” Washington was “also sending a very strong signal to a range of countries that have economic relations with Iran.”